Bumble Berry Bellied
by TaggertShare
Summary: Written by request, based on AICAL. True Heart loves bumble berries. She hires Grumpy to make her a Jam maker. Other Bears also love Bumble Berries. Meanwhile Grizzle falls ill. Will his robots turn renegade? Grizzle turns to another Bear to help him cope. Lovalot finds that love can happen in the strangest of circumstances. Cheer comes up with a unique way to deal with robots.


Share carried a lunch box into Grumpy's garage. She found Grumpy with his head down inside the innards of a machine the size of a small Dishwasher. "Oh, I smell food" came a muffled voice from inside the contraption. Share giggled as Grumpy lifted his grease smeared head out. There was even a glob of grease on his nose. "Nothing blocks the smell of food from your nose, Grumpy" said Share. "You've been out here all morning so I thought you could use a lunch." "Thanks Share" said Grumpy as he grabbed a cleaning rag. He wiped his face and hand paws.

As Share and Grumpy sat eating Share pointed at what Grumpy had been working on. "Just what is this thing you are working on?" Grumpy gave a wry half smile. "True Heart said she would pay me two hundred Care Credits if I could make her a Bumble Berry Jam maker. All she will have to do is put cleaned Bumble Berries, Honey, and Pectin into the correct hoppers and push a button. This machine will do the rest! Then she will be able to fill up Jam Jars through this spigot." Grumpy turned the spigot which loudly squeaked. "Well, it's not supposed to do that he" mumbled. Share lightly kicked the bottom of the machine with her left foot paw. "If this thing works you may be able to make a lot of Care Credits making more of them. Many Bears love Bumble Berry Jam."

Grumpy nearly grinned. He knew Share was one of those Bears. However Share enjoyed making her own Jams and Jellies. Cooking was never a chore for Share. She would have no use for such a machine. Grumpy also realized it would be hard to make a machine whose Jam tasted better than Share's. Still, the challenge of making such a machine had Grumpy anxious to continue working on his creation. That evening as he got ready to call it a day he carefully locked everything up. He was afraid the ever spying Grizzle may be a Bumble Berry Jam fanatic too. "Let's see that infernal Runt break into here" Grumpy grumbled to himself.

Unknown to Grumpy the Runt Bear called Grizzle was one of the least problems he would have to deal with. Grizzle had fallen ill once again and was under the paws of Lovalot. She had once taken pity when she found him outside ill and cold. Grizzle was small even for a Runt. In Human terms he would be a Dwarf. The genetic defect which had led to his small size made him vulnerable. Not just to bigger Bears, but to diseases. Grizzle had always felt insecure over his small stature. That would change when he realized one Bear found his small size made him look cute in her eyes.

Lovalot was that Bear. She had no qualms that Grizzle used to spy on her more than any other Female Bear. It had made her feel like a pretty Girl. Grizzle would have once found it condescending to have another adult treat him like a Cub. Now days Grizzle did nothing to discourage Lovalot from treating him like a Cub. Grizzle had been mortified the time Lovalot found him outside ill and cold, his fur messed up from a bout of diarrhea. It was humiliating to be sick, helpless, and covered in excrement. Even more so as he had been carried inside like a hapless Cub. He had been further embarrassed as he got bathed in Lovalot's kitchen sink. Then the attention she gave him felt so good. For the first time since being orphaned Grizzle knew how it must feel to be spoiled by a Mother Bear. It was a sad day for both Bears when Grizzle was well enough to return to his own home. After his personal crises Grizzle was told by Lovalot he was welcome any time he needed help or attention.

This time she had answered a knock on her door. Lovalot opened the door to find a feverish Grizzle, shaking uncontrollably. Grizzle looked up at Lovalot with 'Puppy Dog Eyes'. Standing by him was a poorly constructed robot. "The Master asked to see you" said the robot. Then it turned and ascended into the sky towards Grizzle's floating castle. "Oh you poor little Bear" said Lovalot as she carried Grizzle inside. Both Bears smiled as Grizzle was held tightly in Lovalot's strong yet gentle arms.

As Grumpy left his garage he warily looked around. Then Grumpy looked up at Grizzle's floating Castle. "That little Runt better stay away from here" Grumpy muttered to himself. If Grumpy could have seen Grizzle at that moment he would have been in for a shock. Grizzle was safely tucked into a Cub sized bed in Lovalot's home. Lovalot had the sick adult Runt wrapped up like a swaddling Cub. His every need taken care of as if Lovalot was a Mamma Bear. The biggest threat to Grumpy's work was another Bear. The bumbling Bear who was at home with True Heart.

True Heart was older than the Boy Bear she fell in love with. To many the pairing of True Heart and Oopsy was a case of an Odd Couple. An older shy female falling for an extroverted male much younger than she. Yet from the moment Oopsy had first put his paw in hers the two Bears knew they were meant to be Mates. Oopsy had only meant to comfort a crying True Heart on that fateful day. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that kind gesture would lead to True Love.

Care Bears have a low Birth Rate to begin with. When Oopsy fell in love with True Heart she had been at an age when most Female Care Bears can no longer become pregnant. So the newly Mated Couple made plans to adopt if a Cub became available. Since adoptable Cubs are rarely available the two Bears seriously thought of adopting a Care Cousin. Meanwhile they would have to bide their time. Care Bears live extremely long lives so time was on their side. In the mean time the clumsy Boy and the shy Girl learned to live together. For the most part their home was a happy home.

True Heart had once liked to cook. She used to make all kinds of homemade foods and treats. Then as she got older cooking became a bit of a chore. Then she had met Oopsy. True Heart began to cook more often. With Oopsy around it gave her more opportunities to try new recipes. Unfortunately making Jams and Jellies was not one of her fortes. Oopsy soon discovered something. His Mate loved anything that contained Bumble Berries. From Bumble Berry muffins, Bumble Berry tarts, to toast with Bumble Berry jam; True Heart munched them down. In her younger days that posed no problems for the healthy female Bear. However she was now slightly past middle age for a Care Bear. With middle age had come the slowing of her metabolism. For the first time in her life she had noticed she was getting a bit of a belly. Actually, two Bears had made True Heart aware of it.

True Heart was returning home after picking Bumble Berries. The Bear let out a burp. The smell of fresh ripe berries had made her stomach growl. For a Bear in a berry patch a growling stomach was an open invitation to eat. So she had eaten berries as she picked. True Heart had eaten as many berries as she had thrown into her basket. She lost a few berries out of the basket as Surprise Bear startled her. Laugh a Lot then giggled and said "careful Surprise. True Heart may be in no condition to surprise!"

"Well, I am not that old" said True Heart. Then she realized both Girls were staring at her Tummy. True Heart's nose changed color as she blushed. "I am past Cub bearing age" she said as she patted her belly. "I am just a little bit bloated today." "If you say so" said Laugh a Lot as she and Surprise walked off with their own Bumble Berries. True Heart then over heard Laugh a Lot say "she looks like she and Oopsy may be in for a surprise after an oopsy of the pregnancy kind." True Heart looked down at her tummy. "I am not that plump" she thought to herself. Then without thinking she plunked a berry into her mouth.

That evening True Heart asked Oopsy "do I look like I am Expecting?" "Expecting what" Oopsy asked back. "A Cub" said True Heart. Oopsy dropped his Bumble Berry tart and patted her belly. "Are you a Cub in there" he shouted. "No, it's not" said True Heart. "Darn" said Oopsy. "It would be great if you had a Cub. Oops!" Oopsy lifted his left foot paw up. "I stepped on my tart" he said sheepishly. True Heart sighed. Life with Oospy was like life with a Cub! She should be well prepared if their plans to adopt ever panned out. True Heart got the bath tub ready. Once again she had to get Oopsy into the bath tub before he could further mess up their home. To make it fun True Heart gave Oopsy a bubble bath.

A few houses down the block another female Bear was toweling dry a small Bear. Lovalot was not drying a Cub after his bath, she was drying the adult Runt known as Grizzle. Grizzle did nothing to discourage Lovalot from treating him like a Cub. Grizzle had been mortified the time Lovalot had found him outside ill and cold. His fur messed up after a sudden bout of diarrhea. He had felt further embarrassed after being carried into her home like a sick Cub. More so as she had bathed him in the kitchen sink. Then the attention he was getting began to feel so good. For the first time since he was orphaned he knew how it felt to be spoiled by a Mother. The small adult felt just like a Cub again. Due to his genetic induced illness he was in essence as weak as a Cub.

The Bear who had grown up orphaned and mistreated loved the extra attention he had received during that personal crises. Lovalot had told him to come to her whenever he felt sick or in need of attention. As his health declined Grizzle became more dependent on Lovalot's help. Now he shivered as he was toweled dry after getting a bath. Then his fur was combed and brushed. His claws carefully trimmed. "Oh, your little foot paws are cold" said Lovalot tenderly to him. "This should warm them up!" Then the small Bear giggled as Lovalot tickled his toes. Then Grizzle looked happy as Lovalot dressed him for nightime. Now Lovalot giggled. She had Grizzle dressed like a Toddler Cub ready for bedtime.

Grizzle did enjoy the attention he was getting. He had even let Lovalot take control of his Robot Servents. He had been feeling too ill to maintain the poorly designed Robots. Let some other Bear worry about them! For Grizzle getting a bath from Lovalot was like taking a dip in The Fountain of Youth. Grizzle had unabashedly played in the tub after Lovalot threw in a bubble making rubber duck. Grizzle's care and worries disappeared like popping soap bubbles. Then he was lifted out of the tub and held up by his armpits. Lovalot stared lovingly at him as Grizzle curled up his toes and fingers and wiggled like a happy Cub. "You really do look like a little Boy Cub" said Lovalot. Grizzle just grinned. He had shown no resistance to Lovalot then dressing him like a Toddler Cub. Then Grizzle sighed contentedly as he was wrapped up in a blanket. He sat on Lovalot's lap as they watched KARE Television. Lovalot rubbed the fur over Grizzle's tummy. Suddenly as Lovalot's Tummy Tag glowed both Bears felt a warm feeling spread through their bodies. Like a true Mother Bear and Cub they had bonded. Grizzle reached up and touched Lovalot's nose. Then he put his face up to Lovalot's chest as he snuggled up to her warm fur. Grizzle dozed off as Lovalot sighed happily. "Tomorrow I will have to pick more Bumble Berries than usual" she said softly to herself as she stroked Grizzle's cheek. "I have another mouth to feed for awhile. For a very long while, I hope." Lovalot gently carried Grizzle to a Cub sized Bed. It had formerly been occupied by an anatomically correct boy Bear doll. "Now I have a real Cub size Bear to tuck in" Lovalot said softly to herself. She put Grizzle's left hand paw up to his face. She giggled, it looked like Grizzle was sucking his thumb in his sleep. Lovalot took several photos of "her Cub". She would add them to the Photo Album she had started the first time she had taken Care of Grizzle. After sneaking out of the room Lovalot looked at a remote control device. It was not for the television. It was for controlling Robots.

The next morning found Lovalot heading out to Bumble Berry Briar. It was The Hearts of July vacation day for many Bears and Cousins. With Lovalot was a very short Bear. The long walk was hard for him. When he tired he was picked up and held as any Cub would be by a Mamma Bear. Lovalot was picking berries as the small Bear clung to her shoulders and back. Soon two other Bears showed up with Berry Baskets to fill. Grumpy had asked Share if she could get some Bumble Berries. Grumpy wanted to test his new Jam making machine. Share was glad to get some berries for Grumpy. Grumpy had told Share of a bush behind a certain boulder. It always had the juiciest and sweetest of berries. "The bush is my secret" he had told Share.

Cheer was not the biggest fan of Bumble Berries. She preferred Bramble Berries. However her Brother and Relatives loved Bumble Berries. Since Bramble Berries were out of season Cheer decided to gather Bumble Berries. She had coyly enticed Grumpy into divulging to her where his secret Bumble Berry bush was. Cheer cheerfully headed for the strangely colored boulder which hid Grumpy's secret bush. As Cheer rounded the boulder she nearly bumped into Lovalot. Lovalot actually growled as she held a basket of berries to her chest. "This bush and these berries are for me and my Cub" said Lovalot brusquely.

"What Cub... oh" said Cheer as she spied Grizzle clinging to Lovalot's back. His hand paw claws and foot paw claws were deep into the fur of the female Bear. Just as a Care Bear Cub clings to its Mother. Cheer at first mistook Grizzle for a real Cub. Cheer had not seen much of Lovalot lately. Still Cheer should have heard if Lovalot was pregnant or had given birth.

"Is it a Boy or Girl and is it yours" asked Cheer. "Grizzle is a Male, of course" said Lovalot. Lovalot's fur was raised up in hackles. The sign of a Mother Bear giving warning to "back off". "He is my Bear to take care of. The poor little thing was sick and had no Bear to tend to him. I need to get Berries as I now have two mouths to feed. Grizzle's robot, UR 2, told me of this bountiful bush. A Mama Bear can't let her Cub go hungry!" Cheer saw that Lovalot had more than the basket in her paw. Another one sat on the ground by a stumble weed. Cheer also saw Lovalot un sheath her claws. Lovalot looked like a real Mamma Bear who was intent on protecting her Cub. Cheer backed carefully away toward a smaller bush. "I am not sure which Bear is whackier, Grizzle or Lovalot" Cheer muttered to herself.

Cheer went to the smaller bush and began picking berries. Just then Share ambled up to her. "Darn, it looks as if every Bear knows of this spot for great berries" said Share. "Grumpy probably told you of his secret berry bush. How did Lovalot find out?" Cheer sighed. "Don't ask Lovalot, she may growl at you! She did say one of Grizzle's robots told her of it." Share looked over at Lovalot. Share looked mystified. "Why would Lovalot growl and what is that clinging to her back?"

Cheer put her paw to her lips. "Shh, she might hear us. That is Grizzle holding onto her back. Lovalot seems to think Grizzle is hers to take care of. It is almost as if she thinks he is her adopted Cub." "But Grizzle is a grown up, isn't he" said Share more mystified than ever. "He was the last time I saw him" said Cheer. "Oh no. Lovalot is staring at us, pick some berries so she won't think we are talking about her." Both Share and Cheer picked berries as fast as they could. Lovalot let out a low growl as she stared their way. The Bear clinging to her back giggled like a Cub. Being taken care of by Lovalot not only had Grizzle feeling like a Cub, he was beginning to act like one. "My new Mama is a brave Mama" he said softly as he held fast to Lovalot's fur. The Bear he was clinging to heard him. Lovalot stopped staring and growling. She turned her head back to see a wide eyed Grizzle with a look of awe on his face. Lovalot did not see a Runt Bear, she saw her chance to be a Mother. No one messes with a Mother Bear if they know what is good for them. Share and Cheer both kept some distance from Lovalot.

Cheer had her basket half full whan she felt a need to relieve herself. Share was a short distance away by an Oaky Doke tree. Share was on her tippy toes trying to peek into a bird's nest. Cheer set her basket down and went behind a Gum Drop tree to pee. When Cheer came back around Share was staring up into the tree with the birds. "Hey! Where's my berry basket" yelled Cheer. Share spun around on her heels. She nearly tripped on her own basket. "Hey, who moved my basket? Why does it look like there are berries missing from it" said Share. Share and Cheer looked at each other then turned toward Lovalot.

"Could it have been Lovalot" said Share. Cheer looked over at Lovalot who was holding one of her baskets as if it contained gold. "Well, she still has just the two baskets" said Cheer pointing. "The one she is holding and the one by the Stumble Weed." Share and Cheer didn't dare to ask Lovalot if she knew what had happened to Cheer's basket. As they looked for Cheer's missing basket they each tried to get close enough to see if the basket by the Stumble Weed was still empty. "Yours has to be here somewhere" said Share.

Just then Lovalot whirled around. "Keep away from my baskets" she snarled. Cheer was genuinely scared of Lovalot. Share was just confused. "We are just looking for Cheer's basket of berries" said Share. "Why are you clicking?" Now Lovalot looked confused. "What are you rambling about, you daffy Bear" said Lovalot. Then Lovalot felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Grizzle pointing at a tree. "I think I hear one of my Robots" said Grizzle. "But I thought they were all turned off. Except for Sergeant Rocket Bottom Number 2."

Lovalot went over to her Paw Bag and took something out. Share and Cheer shook with fright as Lovalot held out a menacing looking device. "She is going to use a stun gun on us" yelled Cheer. Lovalot just gave Cheer a dirty look as Grizzle giggled. Lovalot pointed the device at the tree from which the clicking sound seemed to come from. "Oh, the Identification Code says it is UR 2. Get out here and face your Master, UR 2" yelled Lovalot. Cheer and Share gasped as a robot came around the tree. The robot appeared to be in very poor shape. In his right mechanical hand he held Cheer's missing basket of berries. "Must keep the Master fed" said the Robot in a monotone.

"Grizzle will get fed, by me, you bucket of bolts" said Lovalot as she held out the remote contol. She pushed some buttons. The Robot handed Cheer the basket as her jaw dropped. Then it sped off and quickly returned with a metal handful of berries. It dumped the berries into Share's basket. Share just stared as if she were watching a UFO delivering berries to her. Lovalot then pushed a button on the Robot's chest. Nothing happened. Then she thumped its chest. The Robot sped off and then lifted off into the air. "Well I'll be darned" said Grizzle. "That's the first time his recall button has worked!" "It takes a Female's touch to get a Male's creation to work properly" said Lovalot. She then turned to the gawking Cheer and Share. "Well, you have your berries. What are you staring at?"

"Thank you, I think" said Cheer. "Was that a real Robot" asked Share. Lovalot knelt down as Grizzle crawled off her back. "That was UR 2" said Grizzle. "I thought he had been de-activated. Sometimes a stray electrical pulse from some Bear's Television or Garage Door remote affects my Robots. He was originally programmed to find me food on the fourth of every month. Newbie and Sergeant Rocket Bottom Number One may be on the loose too. For safety's sake I should probably activate my Robots' self destruct codes. Except for Sergeant Rocket Bottom Number 2. He is needed to operate the Castle when I am not there. I hate to destroy any of my robots. To me they are like living beings. I have just not had the Heart to do it."

Lovalot patted Grizzle's head. "Those Bears who thought you couldn't care were certainly wrong. It is not in the nature of a true Care Bear to destroy things." Share lifted her basket high. "Unfortunately these berries may end up with just such a Bear. These are for Grumpy to test out a Bumble Berry Jam maker for True Heart. With Oopsy as her new Mate I certainly hope Grumpy can make the jam maker oops proof!" Cheer laughed. "You are right about that, Share." Then Cheer grinned as she got an idea. She told them of her idea. "It seems so cruel yet merciful" said Lovalot. Grizzle looked sad as he shook his head "yes". Lovalot handed something to Cheer after a short demonstration. Cheer and Share then watched teary eyed as Lovalot comforted Grizzle as he sobbed with his head on her shoulder. "It is best for everyone" said Lovalot as she patted Grizzle's small backside. "You won't need a Legion of Robots to take care of you. You will have me, that I promise to you." "I trust you, Mommy Lovalot" said Grizzle with his face buried in her fur. Cheer turned to Share. "I never thought I would say this, but Grizzle really is a cute little Guy."

It took Cheer, Share, and Grumpy to deliver the Bumble Berry Jam Maker to True Heart's home. Grumpy was ecstatic as he was handed 200 Care Credits. Share's eyes gleamed as she thought about helping Grumpy spend it. Even more so when she heard True Heart promise Grumpy another Two Hundred Care Credits if he made her an exercise machine. "A girl needs to stay slim and trim" she said as she patted her belly.

A happy Grumpy then showed True Heart her new Jam Maker's features. It could quickly be adjusted to make Jelly too. True Heart was ecstatic as Grumpy showed her how to operate the Jam Maker. "Be careful to push the buttons in the sequence indicated on the instruction plate" said Grumpy. "Otherwise the machine will jam up. You may want to keep Oopsy from operating it." Oopsy looked aghast. "Aw Grumpy, I bet I can do it in the proper order." Cheer watched intently to see if her plan to deal with a certain problem worked.

Grumpy handed Oopsy a remote control after removing a small key out of one key hole. Grumpy looked smug, "Oh yeah, I bet you can't even operate this right. Never push both of the Red Butttons at the same time! If you do you must keep from turning those three tiny keys sticking up from the top." Oopsy looked at the device. Among its many buttons were two red ones. One was the button on the right of the top line of buttons. The other was the button on the left of the bottom line of buttons. "It would hard to push both at the same time" said Oopsy as he rubbed his thumbs over the buttons. "Oops" he said as he depressed the red buttons. "Ah" he said as a mechinal voice warning eminated from the device. "Warning Yellow. System activated" said the device.

"Oops, I need to turn it off" yelled Oopsy. "These keys must turn it off!" Grumpy flinched as Oopsy turned the keys. "Warning Red, destruct sequence activated" said the mechanical voice. Oopsy jumped as a wisp of smoke issued from the device in his paws. True Heart jumped as she heard a series of muffled explosions. One seemingly over head. Several startled Bears down the street pointed skyward as they witnessed Grizzle's floating Castle rock softly to and fro for a moment.

Two teen Care Cousins were rubbing snouts behind a boulder in Bumble Berry Briar. They didn't know they were being watched. The love struck Male and Female felt the ground shake as an unseen metal Spy blew apart. "Wow, that was one heck of a kiss" said the Girl. "It sure was" said the Boy. Surprise Bear was actually surprised as a small explosion occurred outside her home. She found odd metal fragments near her now dented trash can. There was a small cloud of smoke rising from the fragments. Surprise Bear picked something up. "This looks surprisingly like a metal hand" she said as she examined it. She then looked up at the still rocking Castle.

Inside the Castle a Robot yelled "oh my Diodes! What was that?!" Sergeant Rocket Bottom No. 2 punched buttons on the stabilizer control panel. Then he picked up bits and pieces of one of his robot brethren. Below the Castle in True Heart's home Oopsy and True Heart tried to regain their composure. "Now what did you do, Oospy" said True Heart. True Heart could swear she felt her fur turning grey. Oopsy shuddered. "I am not sure, did I just start a Nuclear War?" Oopsy was sure he had just started Armeggeddon. Grumpy grinned as Cheer just shook her head. Share looked dumbfounded. "Well, Oopsy" said Grumpy. "You just got us out of a jam. All but one of Grizzle's renegade robots just got a bang out of you!"


End file.
